Drive disconnect and converter for suction cleaners



Oct. 4, 1960 J. H. BEACH DRIVE DISCONNECT AND CONVERTER FOR SUCTION CLEANERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 6. 1957 Oct. 4, 1960 J. H. BEACH 2,954,577

DRIVE YDISCONNECT AND CONVERTER FOR suc'rrou CLEANERS Filed June 6, 195'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4. Fig.7

Oct. 4, 1960 J. H. BEACH DRIVE DISCONNECT AND CONVERTER FOR SUCTION CLEANERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 6, 1957 United States Patent DRIVE DISCONNECT AND CONVERTER FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Justice H. Beach, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Cant0n,.0hio, a corporation of Ohio Filed June 6, 1957, Ser. No. 664,038 1 9 Claims. (Cl. 15-332) The present invention relates to an accessory for suction cleaners and more particularly toremoving the belt from a motor pulley to break the drive connection to a surface cleaning agitator. i

An object of the invention is to provide an accessory for a suction cleaner to disconnect the motor from the agitator whereby the latter remains stationary for onthe-floor cleaning. A further object is to provide an accessory for a suction cleaner to disconnect the agitator and maintain communication between the cleaner noz- 21c and suction creating means whereby the cleaner may be employed for on-the-floor cleaning without operation of the agitator. Another object is to convert a suction cleaner to a blower by attaching a drive disconnect which maintains the surface cleaning agitator stationary and permits entrance of ambient air through the nozzle and drive disconnect to the suction creating means for discharge of air under pressure. Another object is to pro vide an accessory having a belt lifter for disconnecting the agitator driving belt and supporting the removed belt out of the path of a cleaning tool hose connectible to the source of suction for off-the-floor cleaning. A further object is to provide an accessory for a suction cleaner to disconnect the belt and thereafter receive a hose for connection with the source of suction to adapt the cleaner for off-the-floor cleaning. Another objectis to provide a belt lifter which receives a hose for connection to the source of cleaner suction and the hose while attached preventing operation of the belt lifter. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view partly in section showing the belt lifter attached to the cleaner prior to removing the belt from the motor pulley,

Figure 2 is a section along the line 22 in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section along line 33 in Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 in Figure 2,

Figure 5 shows the belt removed and one end of the cleaner hose telescoped within the lifter into engagement with the cleaner fan inlet,

Figure 6 is a section along the line 6-6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a section taken on line 7-7 in Figure 6, and

Figure 8 shows the cleaner bag removed and a blower attached.

The accessory is herein disclosed for use in a suction cleaner having a body 10 provided with a surface engaging nozzle 11 connected by an air passageway 12 to a fan inlet 13 of a fan chamber 14 in which is disposed an unshown fan operated by a motor, the shaft 15 of which projects through the fan eye 13 into the passageway 12. A surface cleaning agitator 16 is rotatably mounted in the nozzle 11 and is driven by a belt 17 disposed in the air passageway 12 and connected to a pulley 18. A port 19 is formed in the front wall 20 of the cleaner body and provides access to the belt 17, shaft 15 and fan inlet 13. An unshown cover normally closes the port 19. The fan chamber 14 is provided with an ice exhaust port 21 to which a filter bag 22 is removably attached. The cleaner is supported on rear wheels23 and front wheels 24, the latter being mounted on a crank shaft 26 rotatably secured to the body 10'. Suitable adjusting means 9 is provided to shift the front wheels 24 with respect to the body 10 to adjust the height of the nozzle 11 relative to the surface 25 as shown in full and dotted lines in Figure 1, in a manner well known in the art. The cleaner is propelled over the surface 25 by a handle 27 pivotally attached to the cleaner body.

One part of the accessory includes a belt lifter 28 comprising an attaching member 29 having a cylindrical portion 30 defining an opening 31. At the lower end of the member 29 is an offset flange 32 connected at its opposite ends to upwardly extending ribs 33-33 spaced from the marginal edge 34 of the member 29. The offset flange 32 forms a shoulder 35 which cooperates with the spaced ribs 33 to engage the defining edge of the port 19 to position the accessory in the port.

Rotatably mounted in the opening 31 is a tubular suppoiting member 36, the opposite ends 37 and 38 of which project beyond the cylindrical portion 39. Rigidly attached to the tubular end 37 by rivets 39 is an actuating member 40 having an opening 41 forming a continuation of the tubular member 36 to provide a tubular passageway 42 therethrough. An annular recess 43 is formed in the opening 41, and a handle 44 rotates the members 36 and 40 relative to the attaching member 29. The passageway 42 is closed by a cover 45 provided with suitable latch members 46 engageable in the annular recess 43 to removably attach the cover to the actuating member 40.

A marginal recess 47 in the tubular end 37 is aligned with a recess 48 in the member 40 and receives a detent 49 urged by a spring 50 to project inwardly of the passageway 42. Movement of the detent 49 inwardly of the passageway 42 is limited by a shoulder 51 on the detent engaging a flange 52 in the recess 48, and an inclined cam surface 53 is provided on the detent 49. A projecting lip 54 on the detent49 normally engages the surface 55 defining the opening 31 in the attaching member 29 to prevent displacement of the detent 49 outwardly of the tubular passageway 42 during rotation of the handle 44. An outwardly projecting locking channel 56 is formed in the cylindrical portion 30 and is adapted to receive the lip 54 of the detent 49 when the handle 44 is positioned to arrange the detent opposite the channel 56. When the handle is in such position and a conduit is inserted in the passageway 42, the detent 49 is moved outwardly into the locking channel 56 which then acts as a latch to prevent rotation of the tubular member 36.

The end 38 of the tubular member 36 is provided with a marginal recess 57 having an entrance 58 for passage of the forward strand 59 of the belt 17 and is also provided with a pocket portion 60 for receiving the strand 59. A belt engaging lip 61 is formed adjacent to the pocket 60 and projects outwardly of the passageway 42 to retain the belt 17 on the exterior surface of the tubular member 36. A pair of lug 62, 63 project radially from the inner edge 64 of the recess 57 and are engageable respectively with opposite ends 65 and 66 of a projection 67 on the attaching member 29 to limit rotation of the tubular member 36 to less than 360 degrees. Also formed on the inner end 38 of the tubular member 36 is a radially projecting latch 68 which engages the inner surface of a lug 69 adjacent the cleaner front wall 20at'the topof the port 19 to lock the accessory to. the. cleaner as clearly shown in Figure 5.

In conventional operation of the cleaner the beltli fter 28 is disconnected from the port 19 and the latter is closed by a cover. The unshown motor rotates a. fair to Patented Get. 4., 19601 create suction in the chamber 14 and also drives the pulley 18 to rotate the agitator 16 which engages the surface 25 to be cleaned. The dirt removed from the surface 25 is conveyed by the suction air stream through the nozzle -11 and passageway 12 into the fan chamber 14 and is discharged through the exhaust port 21 into the bag 22 which removes the dirt from the air stream.

When it is desired to clean the surface 25 by means of air alone, that is without rotation of the agitator 16, the belt lifter 28 is employed. In order to secure the belt lifter to the cleaner the port 19 is uncovered and the attaching plate 29 placed in the cleaner port 19 as shown in Figure l with the shoulder 35 resting on the lower edge of the port 19 and the spaced ribs 33 hearing against the vertical edges of the port 19 whereby the adjacent marginal surfaces of the plate 29 abut the front wall 20 of the cleaner to provide an air seal and limit insertion of the belt lifter into the port 19. The handle 44 is in the belt connected position shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the lug 62 abutting the end 65 of the projection 67 to thereby arrange the belt recess 57 about the front belt strand 59. In the event the handle 44 is not in the belt connected position, the recess 57, will be displaced with respect to the front belt strand 59 and the latter abuts the extreme end 38 of the tubular member 36 to prevent insertion of the belt lifter through the port 19, and thus the recess 57 serves to position the lifter with respect to the belt. After the belt lifter is properly inserted in the cleaner port 19, the handle 44 is rotated clockwise from the belt connected position shown in Figure 2 to the belt disconnect position in Figure 6. Clockwise rotation of the handle 44 and the tubular member 36 is limited by the lug 63 abutting the end 66 of the projection 67. Initial clockwise rotation of the tubular member 36 causes the recessed pocket 60 to receive the front belt strand 59 and the radial lip 61 retains the belt on the member 36. Continued rotation of the tubular member 36 lifts the belt oif of the pulley 18 onto the exterior surface of the tubular member 36 as shown in Figures and 6. When the belt 17 is disconnected, the latch 68 engages the inner surface of the lug 69 to prevent removal of the accessory from the cleaner.

The inner end 38 of the tubular member 36 projects into the air passageway 12 a distance sufiicient to engage the front belt strand 59 and does not interrupt passage of air from the nozzle 11 to the fan inlet 13. The cover 45 being attached closes the tubular passageway 42 and prevents leakage of air therethrough into the cleaner air passageway 12. Accordingly, when the belt 17 is removed from the pulley 18 the cleaner can be employed for on-the-floor cleaning without rotating the agitator 16 to thereby clean with air alone by moving the nozzle over the surface 25.

While the belt lifter 28 is arranged in the port 19 and the belt disconnected from the pulley 18, the cleaner can be converted to a blower. A blower adapter 70 shown in Figure 8 includes a base 71 from which projects a tubular conduit 72. In order to convert the cleaner to a blower the bag 22 is removed from the exhaust port 21 and the base 71 of the adapter attached to the cleaner to place the exhaust port 21 in communication with the conduit 72. Thereafter the motor is energized and the cap '45 removed from the belt lifter whereby ambient air will pass through the tubular passageway 42 to the fan chamber 14 and 'an air stream also enters the floor nozzle 11 and travels the passageway 12 to the fan chamber 14 from which the combined ambient air streams are discharged under pressure through the conduit 72 of the adapter 70. A hose may be attached to the adapter conduit 72 to direct the air blast on the surfaces to be cleaned. If desired the nozzle adjusting means may be manipulated to raise the nozzle 11 to fully inoperative position with respect to the surface 25, as indicated .in dotted lines in Figure 1, so that in the event the surface 4' 25 is soiled, no dirt will be entrained by the air stream passing through the nozzle to the blower conduit 72.

The accessory is also provided with means for attaching a hose to convert the cleaner for oif-the-floor cleaning. At one end of a hose 75 is a rigid conduit 76 and at the opposite end is connected a suitable unshown tool for engaging the surface to be cleaned. Mounted on the conduit 76 is a spring latch 77 controlled by a button 78. The conduit 76 is formed for insertion through the passageway 42 so that its end 79 is seated in air conducting relation in the fan inlet 13 and thus is connected to the source of suction.

When the belt lifter 28 is attached to the cleaner and the belt disconnected as shown in Figure 5, the accessory is converted for ofE-the-floor cleaning by removing the cover 45 to expose the tubular passageway 42. Thereafter the conduit 76 is telescoped within the tubular member 36 until the end 79 of the conduit is seated in the fan inlet 13 and thus connected to the source of suction whereby an air sealed connection is provided between the fan inlet 13 and the hose 75 for passage of dirt laden air to the fan chamber 14. The hose 75 is retained in the fan inlet 13 by the latch 77 which seats in the annular recess 43 and permits rotation of the conduit 76 relative to the tubular member 36. The removed belt being supported on the exterior surface of the tubular member 36 allows the conduit 76 at it passes through the passageway 42 to travel between the strands of the removed belt and also traverse the path formerly occupied by the belt when attached to the pulley 18 so that the belt does not interfere with the dirt laden air stream passing through the hose 75 to the fan inlet 13.

When the belt lifter is in its disconnect position the detent 49 is arranged opposite the locking channel 56 and upon inserting the conduit 76 the latter engages the cam surface 53 and forces the detent 49 into the channel 56 and locks the handle 44 as shown in Figure 7 to prevent rotation of the belt lifter 28, whereby the belt cannot be reconnected to the pulley while the conduit 76 is inserted in the fan inlet 13.

In order to re-establish use of the agitator 16 for onthe-floor cleaning, the button 78 is depressed to remove the latch 77 from the annular recess 43 and the conduit 76 is then withdrawn from the passageway 42. Upon removing the conduit 76, the spring 50 urges the detent 49 out of the channel 56 to unlock the handle 44 whereby the latter nray then be moved counterclockwise from the belt disconnect position shown in Figure 6 to the connected position in Figure 2. During rotation of the tubular member 36 to the belt connected position, the front belt strand 59 passes out of the recess 57 onto the pulley 18 to reconnect the latter to the agitator 16. The accessory is then removed from the port 19 and the latter closed by its cover to adapt the cleaner for on-the-fioor cleaning.

While I have shown and described but one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but to include all equivalent variations except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. An accessory for use with a suction cleaner of the type having a nozzle, suction creating means having an inlet connected to the nozzle, a surface cleaning member movably mounted in the nozzle, a drive shaft, a belt connecting the shaft to the member for driving the latter, and a port providing access to the belt and shaft, comprising means for removably attaching the accessory to the cleaner at the port, tubular means mounted on said attaching means for rotation about one axis, belt disengaging means on one end of said tubular means and adapted to project through the port for engagement with the belt to remove the latter from the shaft, actuating means for rotating said belt disengaging means about said one axis to effect said removal of the belt from the shaft by movement from a belt connected position to a belt disconnected position, said belt disengaging means arranged with respect to said tubular means to remove the belt from the shaft and support the removed belt exteriorly of said tubular means, and said tubular means adapted to be connected to a conduit for conducting an air stream to the suction creating means inlet.

2. An accessory for use with a suction cleaner of the type having a nozzle, suction creating means having an inlet connected to the nozzle, a surf-ace cleaning member movably mounted in the nozzle, a drive shaft, a belt connecting the shaft to the cleaning member for driving the latter and partially obstructing the inlet to the suction creating means, and a port providing access to the belt, comprising means for removably attaching the accessory to the cleaner at the port, belt removing means movably mounted on said attaching means for rotation about one axis and adapted to project through the port into engagement with the belt, means for shifting said belt removing means relative to the shaft for lifting the belt therefrom, said belt removing means being operable about said one axis with respect to the inlet of the suction creating means to remove the belt from the shaft out of its obstructing position relative to the inlet, a conduit, and said belt removing means having means to removably support said conduit for connection to the inlet by traversing the path formerly occupied by the belt while connected to the drive shaft.

3. An accessory for use with a suction cleaner of the type having a nozzle, suction creating means having an inlet connected to the nozzle, a surface cleaning member movably mounted in the nozzle, a drive shaft, a belt connecting the shaft to the cleaning member for driving the latter and partially obstructing the inlet to the suction creating means, and a port providing access to the belt, comprising means for removably attaching the accessory to the cleaner at the port, belt removing means mounted on said attaching means and adapted to project through said port into engagement with the belt, said belt removing means including means movable along the belt to disengage the belt from the shaft and separate the belt strands to provide an unobstructed passageway therebetween from the port to the inlet, a conduit, and said attaching means having means movably supporting said conduit for insertion through said port and passageway into communication with said inlet to convey air thereto.

4. An accessory for use witha suction cleaner of the type having a nozzle, suction creating means having an inlet connected to the nozzle, a surface cleaning member movably mounted in the nozzle, a drive shaft, a belt connecting the shaft to the member for driving the latter, and a port providing access to the belt and shaft, comprising means for removably attaching the accessory to the cleaner at the port, tubular means mounted on said attaching means for rotation about one axis, belt disengaging means on one end of said tubular means and adapted to project through the port for engagement with the belt .to remove the latter from the shaft, actuating means for rotating said belt disengaging means about said one axis to eifect said removal of the belt from the shaft by movement from a belt connected position to a belt disconnected position, said belt disengaging means arranged with respect to said tubular means to remove the belt from the shaft and support the removed belt exteriorly of said tubular means, and a conduit removably telescoped within said tubular means for connection with the cleaner inlet to conduct dirt laden air thereto.

5. An accessory for use with a suction cleaner of the type having a nozzle, suction creating means having an inlet connected to the nozzle, a surface cleaning member movably mounted in the nozzle, a drive shaft, a belt connecting the shaft to the cleaning member for driving the latter, and a port providin access to the belt and inlet, comprising means for removably attaching the accessory to the cleaner at the port; belt removing means movably mounted on said attaching means and adapted to project through the port into engagement with the belt, means for moving said belt removing means relative to the shaft for lifting the belt therefrom, means on said belt removing means adapted to removably support a conduit in air conducting relation with the cleaner inlet to conduct dirt laden air thereto, and detent means movable with said belt removing means for preventing said connection of said conduit with the cleaner inlet while the belt remains attached to the shaft. a

6. An accessory as described in claim -5, and latch means operable to receive said detent means to permit connection of said conduit with the cleaner inlet when the belt is removed from the shaft, and said conduit when connected to the cleaner inlet maintaining said detent means in said latch means to prevent movement of said belt removing means to reconnect the belt with the shaft.

7. An accessory for use with a suction cleaner of the type having a nozzle, suction creating means having an inlet connected by an air passageway with the nozzle, a drive shaft in said air passageway, a surface cleaning member movably mounted in the nozzle, a belt in the air passageway connecting the shaft to the member for driving the latter, and a port providing access to said shaft, belt and air passageway, comprising means for removably attaching the accessory to the cleaner at the port, belt disengaging means movably mounted on said attaching means and adapted to project into the air passageway for engagement with the belt to remove the latter from the shaft, actuating means for moving said disengaging means to effect said removal of the belt from the shaft by movement from a belt connect position to a belt disconnect position, said belt disengaging means arranged in the port and the air passageway in spaced relation to the suction creating means inlet for passage of an ambient air stream from the nozzle to the suction creating means while said belt disengaging means is in said belt disconnected position, means defining an opening in the accessory exposed to atmosphere for passage of another ambient air stream into the air passageway to the suction creating means inlet, and a removably attached closure for said opening to selectively interrupt flow of said another ambient air stream through said opening while said belt disengaging means is in said belt disconnect position. V 8. In a suction cleaner a body, a nozzle in said body, suction creating means in said body and having an air inlet, a passageway in said body for conducting an air stream from said nozzle to said air inlet, a surface cleaning member movably mounted in said nozzle, a drive shaft, a belt connecting said shaft and said cleaning member to drive the latter and partially obstructing said air inlet, belt removing means movably mounted on said body for engagement with said belt, means for shifting said belt removing means to belt disconnect position to lift said belt from said shaft and interrupt movement of said cleaning member, said belt removing means being operable with respect to said air inlet to remove said belt from said shaft and out of its said obstructing position relative to said air inlet, a port in said belt removing means communicating with said air passageway, a closure for said port to confine movement of said air stream between said nozzle and air inlet, said closure being removable to expose said port for connection of a conduit with said air inlet by traversing the path formerly occupied by said belt while connected with said shaft to convey an air stream through said conduit to said air inlet.

9. In a suction cleaner a body, a nozzle in said body, suction creating means in said body and having an air inlet, a passageway in said body for conducting an air stream from said nozzle to said air inlet, a surface cleaning member movably mounted in said nozzle, a drive shaft, a belt connecting said shaft and said cleaning member to drive the latter and partially obstructing said 7 air inlet, belt removing means movably mounted on said body for engagement with said belt, means for shifting said belt removing means to belt disconnect position to lift said belt from said shaft and interrupt movement of References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Staples Mar. 2, Severance Feb, 1, Stent Apr. 10, Frere et al. Nov. 4, Brace Apr. 10, Pardee Mar. 19,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain July 22,

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